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| Gloucestershire care home rapist Colin Stokes jailed | Gloucestershire care home rapist Colin Stokes jailed |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A care worker who raped three vulnerable women at the home he worked in has been jailed for 14 years. | A care worker who raped three vulnerable women at the home he worked in has been jailed for 14 years. |
| Colin Stokes, 48, attacked the women - aged 32, 50 and 54 - between January 2012 and April 2013 in a domiciliary care home in Gloucestershire. | Colin Stokes, 48, attacked the women - aged 32, 50 and 54 - between January 2012 and April 2013 in a domiciliary care home in Gloucestershire. |
| One victim has a mental age of a child, another is registered blind and the third needs aid to communicate. | One victim has a mental age of a child, another is registered blind and the third needs aid to communicate. |
| Stokes, of Dursley, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court, where in January he admitted three rape charges. | Stokes, of Dursley, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court, where in January he admitted three rape charges. |
| Each victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has severe learning disabilities and requires 24-hour care. | Each victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has severe learning disabilities and requires 24-hour care. |
| At the earlier plea hearing Stokes denied a further charge of rape and one of sexual assault and the court was told those charges would lie on file. | At the earlier plea hearing Stokes denied a further charge of rape and one of sexual assault and the court was told those charges would lie on file. |
| 'Best possible evidence' | |
| Stokes was employed to work the night shift at the home, which also cannot be identified, and help with day-to-day tasks. Due to staff cutbacks he worked alone. | |
| Police branded him a "sexual predator" who deliberately targeted his victims and said he had not shown any remorse for the damage he had inflicted on them. | |
| It has also emerged Stokes was arrested in 2007 for "inciting sexual activity with a mentally ill female at a care home". | It has also emerged Stokes was arrested in 2007 for "inciting sexual activity with a mentally ill female at a care home". |
| He was questioned and bailed but that was cancelled following an investigation and referral to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). No further action was taken. | He was questioned and bailed but that was cancelled following an investigation and referral to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). No further action was taken. |
| A second investigation began in April last year when one of his colleagues reported that a resident had told them they had been abused by him, the court was told. | |
| Stokes, who had worked in the care industry for 13 years and in his current job since 2007, was immediately arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault and suspended. | |
| Interviews were carried out by the force, which said an intermediary had been involved for the first time ever in one of their investigations. | |
| A specialist with experience in learning disabilities helped "communicate better" with the victims "and therefore get the best evidence possible", police said. | |
| 'Very concerned' | |
| Gloucestershire County Council had been responsible for contracting the firm which employed Stokes as a care worker for the home's residents. | |
| The authority has now called for an independent review to study whether the attacks could have been prevented. | |
| Chris Haynes, who oversees learning disability services for the council, said: "We are very concerned about what might have been known in 2007, what actions might have been taken at that point and whether the matter could have been prevented. | |
| "We don't have answers to those questions which is why I have requested the safeguarding board conduct a serious case review to help us answer some of those questions and make sure we can understand what happened in 2007." |